Dawn
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Dawn - 19:16 Aug 14, 2025
At least six members of a family were feared dead after a massive landslide buried their home in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Muzaffarabad district on Thursday, while torrential rains claimed the lives of two more women in Bagh and Sudhnoti districts, officials said. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. At least 313 people, including 142 children, have died and 740 others have been injured in flash floods and torrential rains that have battered several parts of Pakistan since late June, according to updated daily data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The incident occurred in Nariyah Behak, part of Sarli Sacha village northwest of Muzaffarabad, where a cloudburst sent a wall of wate... -
Dawn - 18:54 Aug 14, 2025
Federal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Moeen Wattoo on Thursday criticised India for seeking to “run away” from the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after its foreign ministry rejected a Hague court ruling to follow the accord in designing new hydroelectric projects on rivers flowing to Pakistan. Under the 1960 IWT, three rivers that flow westwards were awarded to Pakistan, with India getting three eastern-flowing rivers. In 2023, Pakistan brought a case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague over the design of Indian hydropower projects on rivers that were awarded to Pakistan under the treaty. The court, in its ruling that was posted on its website on Monday, said it had jurisdiction over the dispute and ruled the treaty “does not permit India to generate hydro-electric power on the Western Rivers based on what might be the ideal or best practices approach for engineering” of these projects. Instead, the design of these projects must adhere “strictly” to the specifications laid down in the ... -
Dawn - 17:47 Aug 14, 2025
Military and civilian leadership, as well as the martyrs of “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth), were presented with national honours as part of celebrations to mark Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day on Thursday. In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said this year’s Independence Day would be marked as “Marka-i-Haq”. The term is used by the state to name the conflict with India from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a ceasefire on May 10. In an earlier message today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari said the day served as a reminder of courage, unity, and sacrifices that led to the creation of Pakistan and paid homage to the founding father Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the workers of the Pakistan Movement for their struggle and sacrifices. The awards, including both wartime and peacetime honours, were conferred by President Zardari and PM Shehbaz during a ceremony at the Presidency in Islamabad. Awards were conferred upon senior military... -
Dawn - 17:08 Aug 14, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a deal on his war on Ukraine and that the threat of sanctions against Russia likely played a role in Moscow’s decision to seek a meeting. Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin in Alaska tomorrow. The US president said he is unsure whether an immediate ceasefire can be achieved, but expressed interest in brokering a peace agreement. “I believe now, he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News Radio’s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show’. Trump also mentioned during the Fox interview that he has three locations in mind for a follow-up meeting with Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, though he noted that a second meeting is not guaranteed. He said staying in Alaska for a three-way summit would be the easiest scenario. “Depending on what happens with my meeting, I’m going to be c... -
Dawn - 16:49 Aug 14, 2025
The Karachi police arrested a 37-year-old woman on Thursday who allegedly slaughtered her two young children in Defence Housing Authority (DHA). “A lady killed her two children, who were eight and four years old, with a sharp knife due to a marital issue with her husband,” South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com, adding that police arrested the suspect and seized the murder weapon. He added that the children’s bodies were recovered from a house on 10th Street off Khayaban-i-Mujahid with their throats slit. “The suspect sent pictures to her ex-husband after killing the children,” he said, adding that the father then called the police. However, both children were found murdered when Darakhshan police arrived at the residence. “The bodies were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities,” DIG Raza said. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the children’s throats were slit, which damaged vital structures and vessels in the neck, leading to their death.... -
Dawn - 15:30 Aug 14, 2025
An internal Meta Platforms document detailing policies on chatbot behaviour has permitted the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) creations to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual, generate false medical information and help users argue that Black people are dumber than white people. These and other findings emerge from a Reuters review of the Meta document, which discusses the standards that guide its generative AI assistant, Meta AI, and chatbots available on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, the company’s social media platforms. Meta confirmed the document’s authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions which stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. Entitled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards”, the rules for chatbots were approved by Meta’s legal, public policy and engineering staff, including its chief ethicist, according to the document. Running to more than 20... -
Dawn - 15:28 Aug 14, 2025
Leaders and lawmakers from around the world, including the United States, Russia, and China, congratulated Pakistan on its 79th Independence Day on Thursday with public messages, highlighting diplomatic ties. The day, marking Pakistan’s freedom from British rule and the declaration of independence in 1947, dawned with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salutes at the provincial headquarters. Special prayers were also offered in mosques for peace, solidarity and prosperity of the country. United States US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement, felicitated the people of Pakistan on behalf of the United States. “The United States deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade. We look forward to exploring new areas of economic cooperation, including critical minerals and hydrocarbons, and fostering dynamic business partnerships which will promote a prosperous future for Americans and Pakistanis,” the statement said. The US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian... -
Dawn - 15:24 Aug 14, 2025
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Shaheens were presented with national honours for their aerial performance in the recent conflict against India as part of Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day celebrations on Thursday. In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said this year’s Independence Day would be marked as “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth). The term is used by the state for the conflict with India from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a ceasefire on May 10. The May conflict was sparked as New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack without evidence — a claim strongly refuted by Pakistan. On May 6–7, New Delhi launched air strikes that killed civilians. In retaliation, PAF downed six Indian planes in air-to-air combat on May 7. India’s highest-ranking general has also acknowledged that its forces suffered losses in the air, but denied losing six aircraft. At a ceremony in Islamabad today, the awards, including both wartime and peacetime honours, were conferred by President Asif... -
Dawn - 14:43 Aug 14, 2025
Powerful torrents driven by intense rain that smashed into a Himalayan mountain village in India-occupied Kashmir killed at least 37 people on Thursday, a top disaster management official told AFP. It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. “Dead bodies of 37 people have been recovered,” said Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, adding there was no count of any missing people available. Irshad told AFP 150 wounded people were also rescued from the disaster site, “50 of whom are severely injured”, all sent to nearby hospitals. Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, told AFP: “I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital.” The disaster occurred in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, a pit stop on a popular pilgrimage route. It comes a little over a week after a heavy flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Earlier, Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma said, “We have found 34 dead bodies a... -
Dawn - 14:06 Aug 14, 2025
Karachi police on Thursday announced comprehensive security measures for the Chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), which will take place tomorrow, while also issuing a traffic plan. Chehlum, also known as Arbaeen (40 in Arabic), marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is marked by processions by Shia Muslims across the country. Karachi’s Additional Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Javed said in a statement that 7,465 police officers and personnel will be deployed for security duty at 108 processions, 2,901 at 501 majalis, and 1,113 at 642 imambargahs on Chehlum, for a total deployment of 11,479 officers and personnel. “All roads intersecting the route of Karachi’s main procession will remain completely closed, and extraordinary measures have also been taken around Nishtar Park,” he added. According to the Additional IG, all station house officers have been instructed to remain present in their respective areas, intensify ... -
Dawn - 13:45 Aug 14, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the formation of “Army Rocket Force Command” to bolster the nation’s defence capabilities. Islamabad is boosting its military capabilities following its recent military confict with India, increasing defence budget by 20 per cent for the fiscal year 2025-2026. “On this occasion, today, I announce the formation of the Army Rocket Force Command,” the prime minister said while addressing a special ceremony held at Islamabad’s Jinnah Sports Stadium on late Wednesday night to celebrate Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day and Marka-i-Haq. Marka-i-Haq (Battle of Truth) is a term the state uses for the recent conflict with India, when Pakistan responded to Indian aggression following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, before a ceasefire was reached on May 10. “Equipped with modern technology and capable of targeting the enemy from every direction, this force will prove another milestone in further strengthening our conventional war capabilities,” PM Shehbaz said. Pakistan has sophi... -
Dawn - 13:30 Aug 14, 2025
A spell of heavy downpour lashed various parts of Abbottabad district on Thursday, triggering flash floods that severely disrupted traffic flow and caused damage to infrastructure. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The torrential rains led to the blockage of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at multiple points within Abbottabad city, leaving commuters stranded for hours. According to local authorities, all major nullahs and ravines in the district, including the River Door, swelled beyond their banks, creating dangerous conditions for nearby residents and motorists. The sudden surge of water from the upper catchment areas inundated low-lying localities and washed debris onto the KKH, making several stretches ... -
Dawn - 12:40 Aug 14, 2025
Hundreds of people in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have fallen victim to water-borne diseases owing to a severe shortage of clean drinking water following devastating floods in the region, government data showed on Thursday. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as unprecedented heatwaves, erratic weather patterns and glacial melting have triggered cloudbursts and intense floods across the region. On Wednesday, a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) swept away part of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), while on Tuesday evening, a powerful torrent surged through the Juchar nullah in Gulmit, Gojal, and Hunza, triggered by accelerated glacier melt. “Diamer, Shigar, Skardu, Astore, and Gilgit are most affected by poor and unsafe water, with the people of these districts being admitted to hospitals and clinics every day,” said GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq. A government report said children under the age of five have also begun falling victim to cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and p... -
Dawn - 12:18 Aug 14, 2025
More than 360 people fell ill in Indonesia’s town of Sragen in Central Java after consuming school lunches, an official said on Thursday, in the largest food poisoning case to hit President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals programme. Since its launch in January, the free school meals programme has been marred by mass food poisoning cases across the archipelago, affecting over 1,000 people. Sragen government chief Sigit Pamungkas told Reuters that 365 people fell ill and a food sample was being tested in a lab. The government would pay for any medical treatment if needed. Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, a ninth grader at Gemolong 1 middle school, told Reuters he was woken at night by sharp pain in his stomach. He had a headache and diarrhoea, which he deduced had been caused by food poisoning after seeing schoolmates’ social media posts complaining of the same. The likely contaminated lunch was turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple and a box of milk, cooked in a c... -
Dawn - 11:54 Aug 14, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for rising beyond divisions and standing united for a Pakistan that is built on justice, equality, and service to all, as the nation celebrates Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day today. They said the day served as a reminder of courage, unity, and sacrifices that led to the creation of Pakistan and paid homage to founding father Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the workers of the Pakistan Movement for their struggle and sacrifices. In his message on the occasion, President Zardari emphasised that the nation had “reaffirmed its strength, resolve, and unity in the face of external aggression”. “Our success in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos is a landmark moment in our history,” he said. “It was a demonstration of unshakable national will, professional excellence, and united purpose.” In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said this year’s Independence Day would be marked as “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth). The term is used by... -
Dawn - 10:41 Aug 14, 2025
At least five cops were martyred and another eight left injured as militants attacked police checkpoints at different locations late at night in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Upper Dir and Lower Dir, police said on Thursday. Over the past few months, multiple areas of KP — including Bannu, Peshawar, Karak, Lakki Marwat and Bajaur — have seen a series of attacks on police forces. The country has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. In KP’s Upper Dir, three cops were martyred after their mobile was attacked by terrorists, while another six were injured in the same attack, the police said in a statement. Police have launched a search operation to find the perpetrators, and the injured were rushed to the nearby hospital. Meanwhile, in Lower Dir, “two separate terrorist attacks on police checkpoints in the areas of Maidan, Lajbok and Sha... -
Dawn - 09:11 Aug 14, 2025
India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between the neighbours was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism. The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia. But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, the countries have moved to mend ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to hold talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July. That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly border clash in 2020 between their nations’ troops. “For a long time, China-India border tr... -
Dawn - 08:37 Aug 14, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due in London to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, to take stock ahead of US President Donald Trump’s key talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Zelensky, who was in Germany on Wednesday, has been working with European leaders to press Trump not to allow Putin to carve up Ukraine’s territory at the Alaska summit. He is due to meet Starmer at 9:30am local time (1:30pm PKT) at the British premier’s official residence, 10 Downing Street. On Wednesday, Trump joined a Germany-hosted virtual meeting with European leaders, including Zelensky, who sought to set red lines ahead of the summit on ending the war in Ukraine. Zelensky said he warned Trump that the Russian leader was “bluffing” about his desire to end the war. Trump later threatened “severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine and while he did not specify what the consequences could be, he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting on Friday pro... -
Dawn - 07:40 Aug 14, 2025
A minor girl was among three people killed while more than 100 people were injured by aerial firing in Karachi on the eve of Independence Day, according to hospital officials. Incidents of aerial firing are a routine occurrence on occasions such as Independence Day and New Year’s Eve despite bans imposed in the past, often leaving dozens injured. According to a statement issued by police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, a total of 109 people with bullet injuries from aerial firing were brought in from different areas across the metropolis to three major hospitals. Three people were said to be in critical condition. However, police put the injury toll as 67, according to a statement from the office of the Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Javed Alam Odho. Azizabad Station House Officer (SHO) Waqar Kaiser told Dawn.com, “A seven-year-old girl was watching Independence Day fireworks from the second floor gallery of her house in Azizabad Block-8 when a bullet struck her in the head. “A while later, her mother s... -
Dawn - 07:38 Aug 14, 2025
LAHORE: Police attempted to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Advocate Haider Majeed, who was convicted by a military court, when he was finally released from Kot Lakhpat Jail after completing the two-year term, on Wednesday. PTI leaders Shayan Bashir and Rai Muhammad Ali Kharl, along with party workers, accorded a warm welcome to Advocate Majeed. The workers passionately chanted slogans in favour of the PTI founder Imran Khan and Majeed. Soon after Mr Majeed came out of jail, police pounced and arrested his father and brother. However, Mr Majeed managed to slip away on a motorcycle and reached Model Town courts. Reacting to the police action, Mr Bashir wondered that the Punjab police have become so confused as it did not want to let the PTI leader remain free despite completing his two-year “illegal confinement.” “We strongly condemn the illegal detention of Advocate Majeed’s father and brother,” Mr Bashir added. Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025
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